quagmire

American  

[kwag-mahy^uhr, kwog-] / ˈkwægˌmaɪər, ˈkwɒg- /

noun

1. an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread; a bog.

2. a situation from which extrication is very difficult.

   a quagmire of financial indebtedness.

   Synonyms:

   jam, scrape, quandary, dilemma, predicament

3. anything soft or flabby.

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quagmire British  

/ ˈkwæɡˌmaɪə, ˈkwɒɡ- /

noun

1. a soft wet area of land that gives way under the feet; bog

2. an awkward, complex, or embarrassing situation

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Other Word Forms

• quagmiry adjective

Etymology

Origin of quagmire

First recorded in 1570–80; quag + mire

Example Sentences

Proposals, multiple points long, are being mooted by mediators racing to find a way out of this deepening quagmire.

From BBC

He has expressed disdain for previous U.S. wars abroad that have devolved into quagmires, promising that the country wouldn’t get bogged down in such conflicts under his leadership.

From The Wall Street Journal

More broadly, the growing risk of a widening and drawn-out war threatens the American economy, raising warnings of stagflation, a quagmire of stagnant growth and high inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal

For all his backroom skill, Tojo did not include the U.S., or a quagmire in China, in his calculations.

From The Wall Street Journal

That leaves the Southwest in a quagmire with uncertain repercussions while the river’s depleted reservoirs continue to decline.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dilemma
• entanglement
• imbroglio
• impasse
• morass
• predicament
• quandary